Transcript Reaching and Teaching the Gifted Learner (Secondary)
As you enter, please place one sticky dot on each chart paper representing your personal experiences with and attitudes about working with gifted students
Karen Rumley › › HS Gifted Intervention Specialist District Gifted Coordinator Kathryn Craig › MS Gifted Intervention Specialist Overview YOUR experiences??
Work together to
better understand
the special learning, social, and emotional needs of our Gifted students Work together to create
Gifted friendly
them school experiences for
Screening
› › 2 nd Grade Recommend at any grade
Formal Assessment
Once Identified – Always identified Identification mandated, Service is not (so far)
SUPERIOR COGNITIVE
› Score 130+
SPECIFIC ACADEMIC
› › › › › 95 %ile Reading Math Science Social Studies
VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS
Gifted and talented mean the same thing
All children are gifted in something
Almost all children have talents and skills to nourish and pursue; NOT all children have an exceptional innate capacity for a particular intellectual or physical endeavor
“If by the phrase “all children are gifted” it is meant that all children are of value, all can do more if encouraged, and all have untapped potential, I am in your camp. But if the phrase means that all kids can do calculus in sixth grade, all students can achieve a composite score of 32 on the ACT, all kids can score 78- on the SAT-M, that all students can be piano virtuosi, or play professional baseball, then I am gone from the group.”
Nicholas Colangelo
Seek first to understand What ARE their strengths? Weaknesses?
How are they (and their needs) different from their classmates?
Gifted students are easy to identify
Love school Enthusiastic learners Compliant and polite Enhance every classroom & home High –achievers Well-organized Naturally Creative Self-Directed Seem to do well at everything Complete all assignments Regular & appropriate participants
Gifted students are easy to identify
Lazy Elitist Know-it alls Refuse to work with others Unusual behavior- ‘nerdy’ Obsessive and Introverted Live in fantasy-world Monopolize classroom activities
Demanding of special treatment
Challenge teacher on content
Seek first to understand What ARE their strengths? Weaknesses?
How are they (and their needs) different from their classmates?
Gifted students are so smart they do fine with or without special programs/ services – if they are really
gifted, they can manage on their own.
“The future of a gifted student is assured: a world of opportunities lies before the student – they can accomplish anything they put their minds to if they apply themselves.”
Gifted students, like all students, are entitled to learn new things They often need guidance or encouragement to stretch themselves
Gifted Students are not born with academic KNOWLEDGE or the SKILLS to succeed – they must be learned!
› Organization › › › › Time-management & priority setting Analytical writing Note-taking and Study skills How to “practice” › Communication/ interpersonal skills
Pre-assess knowledge and skills, interests Assist students in developing deficient skills and knowledge Include enrichment in differentiation strategies Ensure that “stretching” is safe
and inviting
Gifted Students should not be treated differently from their classmates
If Gifted students can’t complete their classroom projects, they should not be allowed to participate in a gifted pullout program WHY aren’t they finishing their work? › › › Compact it?
Skip it?
Replace it?
The VALUE of the pull-out to the gifted kids › Being with peers › Advanced/ enhanced learning
Gifted students do not know they’re “different” unless someone tells them
They often know that they are not quite like their age peers People like to be with those who “get their jokes” Do consider activities that allow students to embrace differences AND similarities Ensure a safe and friendly environment
Gifted students need to go to school/ learn with their age mates, because skipping grades usually harms a child emotionally Data SUPPORTS acceleration when handled carefully Many types of acceleration: › Curriculum compacting › › Subject acceleration Whole-grade acceleration Playing with age mates ≠ learning with them
Gifted students like being leaders in cooperative learning groups or tutor students who are having difficulty mastering a subject Gifted students are as diverse in their personalities as any other student group Relying on heterogeneous groups can stagnate advanced learners Flexible grouping – occasionally homogeneous
When gifted students are grouped together they deprive others of their insights and develop superiority complexes Flexible Grouping Working with intellectual peers can produce greater outcomes than heterogeneous groups
Gifted students must do the same work as everyone else in the class or it would not be fair to other students Equal ≠ Fair Fair = educating children from where they are to another level Differentiated activities allow everyone this growth experience!
DIFFERENTIATION benefits ALL learners!
On the Basis of
› Content Mastery › Skill Mastery › › Interest Learning Styles
Add
› Depth › Breadth
Eliminate
› Repetition › › Already-learned information Already-mastered skills
Tiered Assignments/ Assessments Choices Flexible Grouping Learning Centers Curriculum Compacting
› › Content Skills
Contracts/ Independent Study